From Severus to Sherlock - A Character History
by torchwoodtimelord
Summary: The abridged backstory of Severus James Potter-Malfoy, better known as Sherlock Holmes. Spanning (briefly) from his birth to after The Reichenbach Fall. (Sherlock!Wizardverse)
1. From Birth to Inheritance

**Title:** From Severus to Sherlock - A Character History  
 **Series:** Sherlock!Wizardverse  
 **Fandoms:** Harry Potter/BBC!Sherlock  
 **Pairings:** Drarry  
 **Author:** TorchwoodTimelord (outline); Lady Bryan (fic version)  
 **Beta:** None  
 **Legal:** We don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or stuff controlled by the BBC.

 **MISC:** This was originally a rough character write up for the backstory of Sherlock Holmes/Severus James Potter Malfoy for the Sherlock!Wizardverse. It has been reformatted and slightly rewritten into this fic-like version for all to enjoy. This is an abridged version from what exists in hardcopy notes, and spans from his birth and childhood (briefly) to after The Reichenbach Fall, leading into the original Sherlock!Wizardverse fic, "John, I'm a Wizard". This, like the rest of the Wizard!Verse, has been cross-posted to AO3.

* * *

On January 5th, 1933 in the wizarding district of Venice Sherlock Holmes was born.

That was, of course, not the name given to him by his parents. He was properly christened Severus James Potter-Malfoy on the day of his birth. Named for one of the bravest men his parents had ever known. Well, that's the story they tend to tell.

He was an odd child. He kept to himself, mostly. Adored animals of all sorts, and took an early interest in the muggle sciences. He and his family moved to London, England before his second birthday. He continued his mostly quiet childhood bouncing between the family homes of Grimmauld Place and Potter-Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire.

At age eleven he began his education in earnest at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the rolling hills of Scotland. Young Severus had the dubious honor of having been the first Malfoy at Hogwarts to be sorted into a house other than Slytherin. A proud Ravenclaw, Severus threw himself into his studies. His affinity for the muggle sciences gave him a slight advantage in the study of potions and Herbology. His powerful lineage gave him a natural ability for dark magic as well as charms and defense. Like his older brother, Scorpius Mycroft, he excelled in all his subjects save one. Divination. Though this had been due mainly to a lack of interest in the subject from the start rather than lack of ability.

His years at Hogwarts were, in and of themselves, uneventful save for the near weekly arguments with his professors and weekend detentions. It had not been until his final year, at his birthday in January of 1950. Severus turned seventeen, and had come of age before the end of his 6th year. At seventeen, young witches and wizards come of age, and as such are no longer restricted by the laws concerning under age uses of magic outside of clearly defined situations (school and minor uses at home). Seventeen is also the age when young wizards and witches are able to inherit, not only material goods and wealth, but magical abilities and power as well.

For Severus, this was both a time of celebration... and shame. In addition to losing the under age restrictions, and receiving a significant boost in his magical ability and power (he was the child of the most powerful wizard in the world, and the second most powerful in Europe after all) he received what was known as a Creature Inheritance.

As a result, the once calm and calculating Ravenclaw lost control of his magic. His once kind, but outspoken disposition became cold and hateful. He became a Creature, an Other. A rare and beautiful force of raw, wild magic and the primordial forces of nature. When the clock struck midnight, chiming in the first hour of his seventeenth year, his magic flared out of control. His body began to snap and bend, changing against his will and before his very eyes. Without realizing what was happening to him, he had destroyed half the Hogwarts library, where he'd been studying long after curfew. When the wave of power had subsided, those who came to see what the commotion had been took him to the hospital wing for immediate attention.

 _ **o0o**_

Severus had awoken on a cot in the hospital wing of the ancient castle, quite surprised to see his elder brother sitting beside his bed. Scorpius Mycroft, no longer a student, had been waiting calmly for his younger brother to wake. Severus panicked, unsure of where he was. Not understanding why Scorpius had come.

The elder Malfoy brother had seen his distress and reached his hand out to calm him. Quietly, Scorpius told him everything that he knew. Everything the medi-witch had been able to tell him when he had arrived, the first to respond to the letters from Hogwarts to the Potter-Malfoy family. He had already sent word, after his arrival, to their parents to notify them that their second born was alright. The library... not so much.

When Scorpius had left that evening, Severus could not shake the feeling that something deeply troubled his brother. Something he was unwilling to share.

Severus spent the next few days under observation due to the medi-witch's notice that Severus had begun using wandless magic as he slept. A magical ability that could pose a danger to the other students in his dormitory if left unchecked.

Eventually he was allowed to return to Ravenclaw tower, and back to his classes the day after. Aside from his height, the physical changers to Severus were not immediately observed.

Though he had always thought of himself as quite fit, his form a little stocky, but not enough to note it. After his sudden growth spurt, however, he had become much more slender.

Severus attributed this to the fact that his height had changed and thus the weight distribution must invariably do the same so that he would be proportionally sound. The only problem he saw with this had been the need not only for longer sleeves and trousers, but that he needed to have his clothes taken in quite a bit at the waist and chest.

Over the following months he discovered greater dexterity. This was found by accident, as he had not been paying as close attention as he should have during Potions, and had unconsciously developed a new method for cutting peony root with far less trouble. Following this he found he had become faster in hsi mad dashes to reach classes on time. This, of course, he attributed to his height difference as well. Having longer legs meant a larger stride. In turn this helped him to cross distances more efficiently and with less effort. Severus had, unfortunately, neglected to note that aside from the physical changes there were significant emotional and psychological ones as well.

Where he had previously been warm and polite, kind and considerate, he was now distant and cold. Openly hostile to those he came into disagreement with. Students in his own house often remarked how different he had become. Critical of others to the point of callousness and insult.

His behavior had become so different, so suddenly, that his younger sister Lily, a Gryffindor 5 years his junior, had written home to their parents to tell them of the changes she had noticed. This was, of course, near the end of his sixth year.

Shortly before final exams, Severus found himself pulled from school for the weekend and taken to St. Mungoes, where he had been met by his elder brother and his birth-father, Harry. Diagnostic spells were cast and charms were done for everything from hexes and curses to accidental side effects of potions and worse, drugs.

Severus thought it all ridiculous, but to appease "mummy" he had sat through it all with a straight face. he had not been hexed, nor had he been cursed. He refused potions unless otherwise necessary, such as to ease the pain of a broken leg after an encounter with a griffin in Care of Magical Creatures classes. He had never bothered with drugs for the sole purpose that it would upset "mummy" and would likely result in his removal from school.

By the time he had been released back to his family, the medi-witches had at last discovered what had caused the sudden changes in the young man. Discretely they had asked to speak with Harry alone. His elder brother managed to coax him out of the office with the promise of a meal. When Harry met them in the lobby an hour and a half later, Severus noted the surprise in Harry's face of the information he had been given... but also a burden he could not quit process fully at that point in time. Severus had tried to get an answer, but was told he must wait until after exams. It wasn't anything serious, and it wasn't going to kill him.

Not wanting to cause a scene, Severus agreed to wait and his brother had taken him back to school.

He threw himself into his studies, having lost the weekend to do so, and completed his exams confident that he had passed them all. His final evening at the school before they would all be sent home for the summer break was spent at the end of term feast. However, a curious exchange took place on his way to the Great Hall. he had been approached by the Divination professor and his head of house. Luna Longbottom, second wife of his Herbology professor, Neville Longbottom. She had smiled at him and asked after his parents. he said they were fine, and she patted him on the shoulder. Then, she spoke of hedgehogs in jumpers. Severus, unsure what to make of her words, asked her to clarify. She had laughed and told him the most ridiculous of things before bidding him a fond farewell and left for the feast.

When his sister had found him shortly after, a look of confusion mixed with horror upon his face, she asked him what had happened. He told her of Mrs. Longbottom's peculiar comment of hedgehogs and jumpers, and then he told her what the woman had said next...


	2. From Seventh Year to Self Exile

**Title:** From Severus to Sherlock - A Character History  
 **Series:** Sherlock!Wizardverse  
 **Fandoms:** Harry Potter/BBC!Sherlock  
 **Pairings:** Drarry  
 **Author:** TorchwoodTimelord (outline); Lady Bryan (fic version)  
 **Beta:** None  
 **Legal:** We don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or stuff controlled by the BBC.

 **MISC:** This was originally a rough character write up for the backstory of Sherlock Holmes/Severus James Potter Malfoy for the Sherlock!Wizardverse. It has been reformatted and slightly rewritten into this fic-like version for all to enjoy. This is an abridged version from what exists in hardcopy notes, and spans from his birth and childhood (briefly) to after The Reichenbach Fall, leading into the original Sherlock!Wizardverse fic, "John, I'm a Wizard". This, like the rest of the Wizard!Verse, has been cross-posted to AO3.

* * *

The summer break between his sixth and seventh years had been spent mostly with the Zabini family in Venice. He and his younger sister took residence in their parents' villa. Mostly, this had been due to the fact that Harry had been called away on rather urgent business, and Draco would not allow him to go alone. Their older brother Scorpius, now working in the Muggle Relations department of the Ministry of Magic, did not have the time to spare to keep an eye on his younger siblings.

Before their departure, Harry had given Severus the vaguest of details concerning his magic, and his inheritance. He had been told he was, indeed, a Creature now. And while Harry and Draco had suspected he may grow to be one later in life, admittedly they had hoped Severus had simply been born with some birth defect and nothing more. Something that could, when he was grown, be corrected if necessary. It had been obvious Harry had not spoken with Draco of their son's condition - as Draco had not changed his grandiose dreams of having his son married off to a wealthy and powerful witch or wizard of the community, to further add to the family name and influence.

However, by the time Severus and Lilian had returned from Venice their father could no longer look his son in the eye without wearing the mask. Severus believed his father now hated him, and while yes a part of Draco did in fact hate that his son was a Creature, an Other, he was conflicted. He did care for his child, and always would. But his emotions concerning his family and his son were pitted against the pure-blood indoctrination of his childhood. Of wizarding society as a whole. Very few who received a creature inheritance were deemed acceptable and desirable. Those few had specific characteristics that wizarding society valued highly. Such as pure raw power of dragons, or the unrivaled beauty of the Veela. The ingenuity and natural abilities of the High Elves. But others? they were dirty. Filthy. Shameful half-breeds. And Severus was, unfortunately, one of those sort.

It was this that kept his father distant, and had worried his older brother. They did not know exactly what he was, only that he was not of the "acceptable" sort. What Severus took to be hatred was, at it's core, personal conflict and a father simply wanting to do what was best for his child in the face of everything he had ever known.

His final year at Hogwarts found Severus often alone. His sister would visit him during free periods when she had the time, much to the annoyance of her friends. But he kept her and all others at a distance. He frequently broke into the library after hours, spending his nights searching for answers. He alienated his house mates, flaunted his superior intelligence to spite his professors, and spent nearly every single weekend in detention for it. Despite all of this, however, he still regularly attended the Gryffindor quidditch games. His sister was, after all, on the Gryffindor team. He would never let on, even in their adult years, that he had secretly enjoyed watching her fly around on the field.

His next birthday came and went without incident, much to the relief of Headmistress McGonogall. The end of the year arrived, exams were taken...

And the end of year feast had been missed as Severus had decided to leave school entirely, spending the night in a muggle city instead. This was, of course, disastrous and ended with his brother's intervention and many favors now owed to the Obliviation team.

Over the summer Severus had been given a handful of books from Madame Zabini that were of peculiar interest. Her personal library was one of the largest in Italy, and held great stores of dark, forbidden magic. One of the volumes centered entirely around the mating habits of magical creatures, and by extension those who were considered Creature Blood. A specific section had been marked before it had been given. It was this section he read first. Once devouring every scrap of information, he spoke with Harry.

Answers were demanded. Some given. Severus became a torrent of anger and rage. It took everything Harry had to quell his younger son, eventually having to restrain him until he settled. Severus spoke to no one, not even the house elves, for the remainder of the summer.

At last, when his sister had been preparing for her return to Hogwarts, Severus approached his parents and his elder brother with an idea...

 _ **o0o**_

Severus, like his brother before him, went on to work in the Ministry of Magic. Specifically, the Muggle Relations department.

Having been fascinated by the muggle sciences as a child, his interest in the non-magical societies of the world grew tenfold when he had come of age. It was the logical step then to gain employment that would give him the access to muggles he needed to make a serious study of them.

Unfortunately, as Severus explored the world of muggles through his job at the Ministry, his father Draco had other ideas. Having researched as much as he possibly could of his son's condition, it became obvious that the young man would likely never marry. He would never, as the Creature term for it was, mate. He would essentially be alone, bereft of companionship for the rest of his life. His son was a very rare Creature, an impossible one that defied everything he had ever believed about his entire heritage. For such a creature as a _Nymphae_ could only come to be when muggle blood existed in a family tree. In both family trees. Meaning that the Malfoys, or at least Draco himself, was not as pure of blood as he had always been led to believe.

So Draco did the only thing he felt he could do. He calculated the probability of his son finding his mate among the muggles, then planned for the inevitable failure to find one. He, against Harry's wishes, arranged a marriage for their son. It would be a loveless, sexless marriage. But it would keep his son comfortable in the lifestyle he had become accustomed to. And, if Draco gained a political ally as a result? Well, that was merely an added gift to knowing his son would be well looked after once he and Harry were gone.

After more than a year of planning and ensuring the arrangements were made, it was however spoiled by their daughter, the youngest of the three siblings, overhearing Draco's plans and immediately running to tell her brother.

Severus was enraged. And he let that rage simmer in silence as he began to plot. To plan. He would prevent his father from using him as a political pawn by making himself despised. Make himself useless to any plans his father had for him. Unfortunately he could not do this alone, and was forced to get an accomplice. One who could help him once he left the wizarding world behind... Thus Scorpius was made to take a Wizard's Oath He could not divulge his part in Severus's plan... Nor could he share the name of the identity he intended to create for himself. His brother could, through his position in both the ministry and his role as an ambassador to the muggle government, watch over him and ensure his safety and well being. While at the same time ensuring he was unreachable by Draco.

So one chilly fall evening Severus James Potter-Malfoy stormed into the Ministry offices, using an untraceable portkey, with his wand in hand. He tore through the Department of Mysteries, erasing and destroying anything with his name in it or on it. This was merely a distraction from his true intent. His real aim was to reach the minister himself. Not to harm him, of course. He would never harm the old Order foot-soldier. He would only annoy, anger, and bring just enough disgrace to himself to serve his purposes.

It had been easy to slip past the aurors, as he had been studying them for as long as he had worked in the Ministry with his brother. He knew their patterns, their procedures. He knew how long it took them to apparate to a given location. How fast they could get the floo network back online. And exactly which items were emergency portkeys directly into the minister's office. Where their locations were and how long it would take to reach them from any given area of the Ministry.

He had planned it carefully. Had planned it for months.

At last, when he had reached the Minister's office... He turned old Kingsley into a ring-tailed lemur. He scrawled graffiti all over the office, then waited patiently for the first auror to arrive. This was where things would get rather tricky. He had to make sure whomever it was saw him, knew exactly who he was, and then make his escape. Part of him hoped that, by some wild chance, it may be one of the old family friends so that there could be very little left to doubt. Nothing to dispute over the fact he had suddenly gone mad.

When the first auror had arrived, moments after the protection wards on the Minister's office had given out their emergency signals, he was quick to disarm them. He made sure that his face was clearly visible, then activated his emergency portkey before the Ministry went into complete lock-down. He had less than ten minutes from the moment he arrived at the Manor before they would be upon him. He had already packed his bag, filled with naught but untraceable muggle items, and flooed quickly to his brother's home.

The brothers shared a hurried farewell, and Severus snapped his wand before his brother's eyes, giving it to him to use as evidence that Severus had disappeared...


	3. From Addict to The Work

**Title:** From Severus to Sherlock - A Character History  
 **Series:** Sherlock!Wizardverse  
 **Fandoms:** Harry Potter/BBC!Sherlock  
 **Pairings:** Drarry  
 **Author:** TorchwoodTimelord (outline); Lady Bryan (fic version)  
 **Beta:** None  
 **Legal:** We don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or stuff controlled by the BBC.

 **MISC:** This was originally a rough character write up for the backstory of Sherlock Holmes/Severus James Potter Malfoy for the Sherlock!Wizardverse. It has been reformatted and slightly rewritten into this fic-like version for all to enjoy. This is an abridged version from what exists in hardcopy notes, and spans from his birth and childhood (briefly) to after The Reichenbach Fall, leading into the original Sherlock!Wizardverse fic, "John, I'm a Wizard". This, like the rest of the Wizard!Verse, has been cross-posted to AO3.

* * *

Severus Malfoy did nothing by halves. When he had decided to do anything it was either go big or go home.

He had abandoned magic, save for the odd potion that suppressed his own powers and altered his scent (a measure taken should the aurors decide to use creatures to track him). Knowing that he could not remain in a single place for more than a few years, due to the rate magical individuals aged compared to that of muggles, he remained constantly on the move.

Over the many long years he traveled the muggle world he learned all that he could. He absorbed information like a sponge, and developed a memory technique to better catalogue his experiences and memories. Yet... it mattered not how far he ran, nor how well he concealed himself... he could never forget the price of his freedom.

He sought out ways to drown it out. Ways to at least temporarily forget the fact he had ruined himself, and broken the hearts of the very few who truly mattered to him. The remorse for his brash actions, and the regret for his mistakes drove him to drink. But it was not enough to dull the ache he felt. Soon, he found solace in Columbia and the promises made by a potent muggle powder.

Soon the genius wizard was addicted, and consumed great quantities of this powder. He continued his travels, seeking out more and more potent drugs to dull his rising ache, but he found the effects lasted less and less each time. Until at last, only with their help could he feel anything at all.

He continued on in this way until at last, he had been pulled out of a drug den in Vietnam by a man he later would learn was an old family friend. How he was found, he did not care to discover. But the man had made it clear to him... it was time to go home. It had been 55 years since he left Hogwarts. And 54 since he began running. He was tired. He was sick. And he knew he would never be the same again.

Severus was little more than a shell when he returned to England, appearing on his brother's doorstep at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He was ready to hand himself in and face whatever penalties wizard law had in store for him.

Scorpius had been surprised to see his brother after so many years, having lost track of him in the drug dens of Columbia. After allowing Severus to rest a few days, to eat and feel safe, he confronted him about his self-imposed exile. About his travels and his troubles. Scorpius listened to it all, and was relieved to know that the man he had sent to find his brother had managed to save him from a death by overdose. Once his younger brother's tales were told, he informed him that the Ministry believed Severus had not been in his right mind. That he had been placed under an obscure curse, and that due to his creature status, he had been powerless against it. Despite years of investigation, no evidence could be found one way or the other on the matter, and the case had been sent to the inactive pile in the auror offices. Since his brother was unique even among the very few of his own kind, it had been just enough to ease the search for him.

After a week worth of rest and recuperation, Scorpius came to his brother again with an alternative to imprisonment. He could continue to live among muggles, but under Scorpius's personal protection. He had two very simple conditions that must be met... Severus must comit to ceasing the use of those dreadful muggle poisons AND have dinner with himself and Harry once every three months.

Severus was mortified at having to face Harry and declined, stating he'd rather be sent to Azkaban than face the wrath of the legendary war hero.

Scorpius arranged for a safe house the very next day and Severus begrudgingly moved in. Much to the younger wizard's annoyance, his elder brother had placed wards on the home as well as a spell that would not allow hi to leave the until he had fully detoxed. And, if by some chance while he was out of the house he managed to partake... once he returned home the spell would again keep him captive until his body was completely clean of it.

It was during his stay there that he had begun his detective work, and quite by accident. A woman had taken the cab he had flagged down for himself one night, and out of simple curiosity he'd followed he in order to discover what was so pressing that it caused him to be inconvenienced. He found himself at St. Bart's, and followed her through the building. He'd become very adept at walking into placed and not getting noticed. He'd spent most of his life doing so.

Before he left that evening he had deduced the cause of death for three murder victims. His curiosity was sated... but only temporarily. He shortly after began visiting the morgue, accurately deducing the causes of death, among other things, from various corpses. Within months of his first visit he was met by an officer by the name of Greg Lestrade.

The Detective Inspector had been told by those in the morgue that a weirdo showed up from time to time, took one look at the bodies that no one could figure out, and left after giving them a full life story of the person who' died. Lestrade had been asked to come by and put a stop to it, as it was quite strange and no one really knew what to make of the man.

Intrigued, he did indeed go see for himself. After watching Severus in action he was quite impressed. An awkward introduction followed wherein Severus introduced himself as _Sherlock_ , as that was the name he had chosen all those years ago for his muggle world travels. When pressed for a surname, which he had never needed before, he declared it was _Holmes_ , as that was the name his elder brother had chosen for his own muggle alias.

The next five years were spent consulting for Lestrade. Scorpius was glad to see his brother with a hobby, one that gave him the same rush he once sought out with the use of drugs. More and more Severus became distracted, and for the first time sine he had left Hogwarts and his miserable creature existence had begun, he was truly content. Not happy, not by a wide margin, but he was content with his lot in life.

The Work chased away the guilt, leaving his conscience a little less burdened and his mind clearer.

The Work gave him the adrenaline rush he sought in the muggle world. It gave him the euphoria he experienced only when on cocaine. Helped to chase away the restlessness that before only alcohol and heroin could.

The Work was his new drug. And so long as people were people, crime and murder would always exist. An endless supply of that potent drug, and an endless supply of hits to sate him.

Unfortunately, The Work brought with it a clarity that he had not felt for a long time. Something began to pervade his thoughts... something he had not thought about since he had become the Thing he was now...


	4. From Safety to Baker Street

**Title:** From Severus to Sherlock - A Character History  
 **Series:** Sherlock!Wizardverse  
 **Fandoms:** Harry Potter/BBC!Sherlock  
 **Pairings:** Drarry  
 **Author:** TorchwoodTimelord (outline); Lady Bryan (fic version)  
 **Beta:** None  
 **Legal:** We don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or stuff controlled by the BBC.

 **MISC:** This was originally a rough character write up for the backstory of Sherlock Holmes/Severus James Potter Malfoy for the Sherlock!Wizardverse. It has been reformatted and slightly rewritten into this fic-like version for all to enjoy. This is an abridged version from what exists in hardcopy notes, and spans from his birth and childhood (briefly) to after The Reichenbach Fall, leading into the original Sherlock!Wizardverse fic, "John, I'm a Wizard". This, like the rest of the Wizard!Verse, has been cross-posted to AO3.

* * *

Five years into his life as Sherlock Holmes, the world's first and only Consulting Detective, Severus went to his brother once again with a simple request. He wanted his own flat. No charms. No wards. No spells. A 100% muggle residence.

And once again, Scorpius placed conditions on his request. One, Severus must remain in London where Scorpius could keep a watchful eye on him (not that he could not do the same if Severus lived elsewhere, but Scorpius had always hated to travel). Two, he must have a muggle flatmate. And third, he must attend regular medical visits to ensure he remained clean and healthy.

Severus had, as expected, put up an argument. Scorpius had pointed out that without the charms and wards, Severus would be more easily found as well as more likely to slip back into old and deadly habits. Having a muggle for a flatmate would help to keep him grounded and in line. He would be forced to continue his no-magic way of living, as to reveal the existence of magic to a muggle without extenuating circumstances was still, for the moment, considered a crime in Wizarding Britain. The added bonus of having someone living with him who could find and identify his body should he overdose did not need to be said aloud.

A week later Severus had contacted a former acquaintance from his years of traveling the muggle world, Mrs. Hudson, and expressed an interest in one of her flats. That same morning he was at St. Bart's, in the lab as usual, and had mentioned to one of the men working there that he needed a flatmate. That man had been named Stamford, and had returned from lunch with an old friend from medical school named John Watson.

Upon meeting Doctor Watson, Severus had already decided the muggle would be the perfect candidate for a flatmate. From the way he spoke, he was obviously a medical man, so what little wiggle room he may have been able to get with the medical examinations condition could reasonably be met. Insofar as drugs and basic health could be concerned. He also observed that the man had been in the military, made obvious from the way he carried himself as well as the tan of his hands which stopped at the wrists, where the sleeves of a uniform would begin. Perfect. It meant he was practical; a no-nonsense sort. This meant that any inclination to use magic must be squashed down. Practical muggles never took the existence of another world and magic very well. Thus, all requirements could be reasonably met with one single muggle flatmate.

Once he had mentally sorted that, Severus was left with something else he had not expected while observing this man in the few seconds since he had walked in the door. His own personal curiosity.

Sure over the last five or so decades or so people had caught his eye. Some had seemed mildly intellectually engaging and somewhat tolerable company. But never had he actually wanted to know more about someone. Anyone really. But this man... this man had his full attention now.

So rather than use his own phone, he concocted a logical reason for not using it, and asked instead for Stamford's... knowing full well the man had left his elsewhere. Regardless, his demand had achieved the desired result - Dr. Watson had politely offered his own mobile. Severus used it to devour any and all information he could about it's owner. Before he could get too wrapped up in this curiosity of his, he remembered that he had been working a case. After showing off how clever he was for his new acquaintance, he left. Severus was quite unsettled with his own reactions and the physical sensations associated with that short meeting, and it left him annoyed that he had come across something he could not properly understand. He had showed off his superior intellect and skills to muggles before over the years, but never had he given thought to their impressions of it. Now he found that he wanted to know exactly what Dr. Watson had decided about him.

He pushed this aside temporarily, and focused on the prospect of at last living in his own place which, at the time he believed to be completely separate from his brother's influence and control. He was intrigued by the man he had met, and arranged to move into Mrs. Hudson's 221B straight away before he had even discussed it with him

After John had moved in, and after their first case together, Severus was once more restless. He kept thinking back to something Mrs. Longbottom had said to him all those long years ago on his last day of sixth year. Something about a hedgehog... and... jumpers. Deciding that drudging through the bowels of his Mind Palace was not a good idea, he instead felt he must do an experiment to distract himself. Thus became the established pattern of his behavior in the flat and around his new, and honestly only, friend. Constantly working, constantly distracted. Leaving no time to be alone with his thoughts.

As time progressed and Severus faced his most challenging opponent yet, Jim Moriarty, he became increasingly agitated (mostly at John) that there were never enough cases. Never enough distractions, despite the fact they rarely had a full day between cases.

It was not until after his first physical encounter with Moriarty, and seeing the only non-family member who could stand to be around him for longer than five minutes without punching him strapped up with Semtex that Severus realized why he had been so intrigued by John Watson.

Standing in a public pool after hours, your best friend strapped up like a suicide bomber, and both of you having sniper rifles trained on you isn't exactly a moment for profound epiphanies. Then again the great detective's mind had never been what one would call normal - wizard or otherwise. Ant it was in that split second when John had jumped to grab hold of Moriarty, risking his life to protect him and take out their most deadly enemy at the same time, that Mrs. Longbottom's final horrifying statement had come unbidden from the deepest, darkest pits of his Mind Palace.

 _ **"Your babies will be short and smart."**_

He knew then that he and John would survive. Because as nonsensical as Mrs. Longbottom's visions and outrageous sounding her predictions, she had never been wrong about anything. Ever.

Now if only after they sort out Moriarty he could get John to stop dating other people and protesting so loudly when people assumed they were a couple...


	5. From Reichenbach to Reunion

**Title:** From Severus to Sherlock - A Character History  
 **Series:** Sherlock!Wizardverse  
 **Fandoms:** Harry Potter/BBC!Sherlock  
 **Pairings:** Drarry  
 **Author:** TorchwoodTimelord (outline); Lady Bryan (fic version)  
 **Beta:** None  
 **Legal:** We don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or stuff controlled by the BBC.

 **MISC:** This was originally a rough character write up for the backstory of Sherlock Holmes/Severus James Potter Malfoy for the Sherlock!Wizardverse. It has been reformatted and slightly rewritten into this fic-like version for all to enjoy. This is an abridged version from what exists in hardcopy notes, and spans from his birth and childhood (briefly) to after The Reichenbach Fall, leading into the original Sherlock!Wizardverse fic, "John, I'm a Wizard". This, like the rest of the Wizard!Verse, has been cross-posted to AO3.

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Severus no longer referred to himself by his given name, deciding it were best to always use that of his muggle identity. Thus, whenever his brother would call him Severus, he would quickly correct him by saying "Sherlock". Eventually Scorpius got the point. The two then referred to one another by their muggle world names - Sherlock and Mycroft.

During the entirety of 18 months John and Sherlock lived together, Sherlock had remained clean... Mostly. There had been the occasional slip-up. A secret cigarette here. One danger night there. But for the most part, he behaved himself. And he performed absolutely no magic... Not until The Fall. When that time came, it could not be avoided.

It had become his only, and most desperate option.

His brother, his Secret Keeper, had betrayed him. Though the life story Mycroft had told to Sherlock's most dangerous enemy had been heavily edited, the information divulged had been absolute truth. Thus, Mycroft could not be trusted a second time.

With the help of a squib named Molly Hooper, Sherlock faked his death. She became his new Secret Keeper, and promised to look after John while he was off to crush Moriarty's empire.

During those three years Sherlock hunted down every member of Moriarty's web, only to discover that among the muggle criminals were, in fact, dark wizards. To protect himself and to stop them, he was forced to rely once more on his unpredictable and wild magic. But he was limited in what he could do. He could not risk exposing himself for fear that his survival would be exposed. Nor could he allow himself to be discovered, as the things he had been forced to do to ensure his own life was considered Unforgivable, and would result in his imprisonment in Azkaban. So he did everything he could to mask his magical signature. The other downside to using his magic once again was that he had no wand with which to focus nor control his raw power.

To help this problem, he learned to craft his own wand rather than risk recognition when attempting to purchase one. He found that using the one he made himself helped his accuracy. He used this wand throughout the remainder of his second exile/hunt.

After three years he returned to Baker Street (and nearly gave Mrs. Hudson a stroke) to find that despite the financial provisions he had left behind, and Molly's best efforts, John had left their flat and moved in with a girlfriend he had met six months after Sherlock's Fall. The couple were due to marry within the next few short weeks. Molly offered to help get John to Baker Street under the pretense that there was an item of Sherlock's that had been left to him that he must pick up, as Mrs. Hudson couldn't bear to look at it any longer.

John had always had a soft spot for the old woman, and had fallen for Molly's story. But when he had arrived at Baker Street, it was Sherlock he found. The pair had a row which ended with John punching Sherlock in the face, ribs, and a kidney for good measure before taking his leave. Later that same week, Sherlock had followed John around to get a good look at his intended. He waited for them to meet for a rather fancy dinner, and made himself known once again. This, thankfully, did not result in as much violence as the previous encounter with John. But Sherlock did not leave that encounter content in the knowledge that John was happy with the woman of his dreams. No. Because she didn't smell right. She didn't feel right. Had she been a muggle, Sherlock would have let it go. He could live the rest of his days in miserable solitude knowing John was happy with someone who loved him fiercely. But this woman was no muggle.

Miss Morstan was like him... and she was more than just a witch.

Sherlock had acted quickly, using every contact he had and every tool at his disposal to get information on this woman. When he discovered her true identity just days before the wedding, he confronted her. Mary Morstan was in reality "Maria Astoria Moran" and she had been dosing John with love potion regularly for little over two years.

Sherlock challenged her to a duel. He deduced that she did not actually love John and was using him, but for what purpose he could not entirely be sure. He did not it was connected, somehow, to what he had just spent three years trying to destroy. Because Maria was a Moran. Her husband had been the late Sebastian Moran, the sniper Moriarty had assigned to shoot John that fateful day three years prior. It could not have been coincidence.

Mary had accepted the challenge, and during the duel she revealed to him that she knew what he truly was the moment she first laid eyes on him from the shadows of the pool. He wasn't just a wizard, nor was he just the son of a famous war hero couple. He was the first ever male of their creature kind. A Nymphae, like herself. She knew what John was for Sherlock, had known since the pool incident. She could smell the change in Sherlock that night from her vantage point as one of the snipers in the shadows. She sought revenge for the detective causing her to lose both of her own mates, Moriarty and then Moran, by taking John from him completely.

First, she would marry him.

She would mate him.

 _Then she would kill him._

Enraged by her declarations, Sherlock lost complete control over himself. He no longer cared if he were found by the aurors. The Minister of Magic himself could come to slap the shackles on him for all he cared. But this... beast... would not be leaving their dueling arena that night. He wanted her dead. He wanted to protect John from her. And he would do anything to ensure that.

And he nearly had killed her, the killing curse on his lips, ready to be released when his brother showed up to stop him. Mycroft, and their sister Lily, had sensed his pain, his grief, as if it were a concussive wave spreading across the city, across the country. It was by this, they found him.

Once Mycroft had incapacitated Sherlock, Lily had subdued Mary Morstan and taken her wand, holding the woman until Sherlock could be taken, and aurors arrived to take Mary into custody. She was tried soon after for using magic and magical potions on a muggle without the muggle's prior knowledge and consent, thus manipulating them to do her will. Mycroft saw this as an opportunity to clear his brother's name once and for all in the wizarding world. The lies he had spun years ago when his brother had disappeared came back into play. He blamed Mary Morstan as the cause for his brother's madness, as the two were of the same creature type, and thus were rivals in territory and mating.

She was sentenced to life in Azkaban.

John was told later by DI Lestrade, after the wedding had been canceled, that she had been a Black Widow, preying on vulnerable and grief stricken men. He was told that she had murdered her previous two husbands, and was planning to do the same to John, who had unknowingly become suddenly wealthy when Sherlock had "died".

Of course, John had demanded to know if Sherlock had anything to do with ruining his life once again (though Sherlock had pointed out that his life had actually been saved by this turn of events). Sherlock had replied that he had no idea, and that he had in fact refrained from deducing his best friend's fiance in the hopes that it would help repair their friendship.

Mycroft, meanwhile, had ensured that nothing to do with the Mary Morstan incident could ever be traced back to his now no longer wanted criminal brother, as well as providing Lestrade with the necessary details and information to back up the Black Widow claims.

John, now free of the love potion and the dark witch Nymphae, Mary Morstan, moved back into Baker Street - as he could no longer afford the fancy flat he shared with Mary on his meager income. Life returned to somewhat normality.

Well... until that following Christmas.

 _ **But that is another story, for another day.**_

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 _ **A/N -**_ Thanks everyone for joining me in this short little ride into my fic version of Sherlock's personal history. The tale of that following Christmas is told in the story, _**"John, I'm a Wizard"**_. _ **  
**_


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